Elton John: Rocketman Meaning

Song Released: 1972

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Rocketman Lyrics

She packed my bags last night pre-flight
Zero hour nine a.m.
And I'm gonna be high as a kite by then
I miss the earth so much I miss my wife
It's lonely out in space
On such a timeless flight

And I think it's gonna be a long long...

1.  

   laura.harrissepich

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   Feb 11th, 14:19 report

   
   

   This song is most definitely about addiction. Very sad

   
   
   
   

2.  

   anonymous

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   Jan 13th, 01:12 report

   
   

   It's obviously a metaphor for drugs and life in general. No duh ?

   
   
   
   

3.  

   anonymous

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   Nov 22nd 2012, 01:12 report

   
   

   The fourth one from the top is so obviously right

   
   
   
   

4.  

   anonymous

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   Dec 18th 2011, 00:04 report

   
   

   I think the song is about addiction...and how lonely it is being an addict..he has replaced his family with his addiction...so he misses his wife.. outer space is no place for kids..meening you shouldn't be raising your children under the influence..

   
   
   
   

5.  

   anonymous

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   Sep 21st 2011, 09:25 report

   
   

   Elton told me in a face to face interview that it was about a career choice. He said, "Sadly my career and addiction wer balsting off in equal momentum at the time and bot Bernie and I knew this.... I wanted to scrap the song from the album because it was too personal".... Elton walked away from interview as he was called for the stage.. He glanced back at me as I was stage left behind his piano. He winked and opened with "Rocket Man"

   
   
   
   

6.  

   anonymous

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   May 9th 2011, 02:20 report

   
   

   Its about the cultural transition between the 60's and 70's.

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
   
   
   
   

7.  

   Erikskarb

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   Apr 9th 2011, 20:28 report

   
   

   In my opinion, it's about a state of mind also expressed in the short story "Rocket man" by Ray Bradbury in the book "An illustrated man", which also happens to be the inspiration to the song. Both the song and the short story is about a man going out to space, leaving his family at home. Hardly, this is all they are about.
   
   It's about a man having two sort of magnets, that pull him in its direction. When he is at home, he longs for the sky, thinking about what it is like up there. But then, when he is in space, all he can think about is he's family and how they are doing. So he can never be happy. I quote: " (...) Till touch down brings me 'round again to find, I'm not the man they think I am at home, Oh, no, no, no. I'm a rocket man."
   
   In the second verse it goes mars ain't the kinda place to raise you kids, which gives the impression that the two "magnets" clash.
   
   What I mean when I say that it is about a state of mind is that it describes perfectly how things can be sometimes. Of course this isn't only when you are a astronaut, which gives the song some sort of allegorical touch.
   
   Sorry for my bad formulations, and poor language. I don't write in English that often. :)

   
   
   
   

8.  

   anonymous

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   Nov 25th 2009, 16:48 report

   
   

   I think it is about life on the road or on tour. Constantly on the move, never anywhere for any length of time. I think it's a battle of wanting to having some normality in his life, and the sacrifices he has to make for his career. Who he wants to be, and who he pretends to be.

   
   
   
   

9.  

   Tealien

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   Aug 6th 2009, 20:00 report

   
   

   This is a song about a short story by Ray Bradbury written in 1951-- Rocket Man. It is in a collection of short stories in the science fiction book "The Illustrated Man".
   Read this story then listen to the song. It's practically identical...The astronaut wanted his wife and wanted his space travel...he couldn't have both--it's actually quite sad.

   
   
   
   

10.  

    anonymous

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    Jul 29th 2009, 12:04 report

    
    

    I hate how everyone thinks that because Elton is gay that all of his music has homosexual inuendos. Get your facts straight, Elton only wrote the music to this song, not the lyrics. So stop it with your unresearched and completely misconstrued psychological interpretations of something you know nothing about.

    
    
    
    

11.  

    anonymous

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    Feb 27th 2009, 20:54 report

    
    

    It's somewhat about drugs. When he goes to space (LSD trip, for example) he gets so high (as referred in the song) that he misses his own wife (he's gay, which means he is so crazy that he misses her.)

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
    
    
    
    

12.  

    anonymous

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    Jun 13th 2008, 18:38 report

    
    

    Bernie Taupin wrote the majority of Elton's lyrics, and rarely (except on Captain Fantastic) wrote as if from Elton's point of view. Hence while Rocket Man may well be an allegory of the loneliness and other-worldliness of fame, it is Bernie's experience rather than (or at least as well as) Elton's that is being represented.

    
    
    
    

13.  

    anonymous

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    Nov 8th 2007, 21:09 report

    
    

    This song has nothing to do with being gay. If anything, it may actually be an allegory for how Elton John feels being in the limelight.

    
    
    
    

14.  

    anonymous

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    Oct 30th 2007, 11:50 report

    
    

    I think the song is about a gay man dealing with the frustration of living in the closet.

    
    
    
    

15.  

    Surfer_Coyote

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    Oct 12th 2007, 00:36 report

    
    

    It is about an astronaut, however I do believe it has some parallels to anyone who is in the limelight. He has desire to lead a normal life with his loved ones, but the fame and glory have alienated him and it will be a long time before the attention fades and he can return home.

    
    
    
    

16.  

    anonymous

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    Sep 28th 2007, 22:12 report

    
    

    Not every song has to be about sex or drugs, and posting stuff you don't even believe is annoying. This song is about an astronaut, and about how lonely his job gets.

    
    
    
    

17.  

    anonymous

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    Apr 15th 2007, 18:18 report

    
    

    It's about a family man who is secretly gay. Hence the very obvious phallic imagery of the rocket.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
    
    
    
    

18.  

    anonymous

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    Apr 2nd 2007, 21:26 report

    
    

    It's about an astronaut going off to space...duh

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
    
    
    
    

19.  

    anonymous

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    Nov 4th 2005, 22:41 report

    
    

    It is about how his career has alienated him from his family and friends.

    
    
    
    

20.  

    anonymous

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    Oct 14th 2005, 16:58 report

    
    

    This is about drug addiction. He likens his being stoned to being alone in space.